SWOOSH-SWOOSH-SHOOSH!
Frank elevated high into the sky, easily dodging multiple flame burst delivered by Flamario.
Frank’s words suddenly struck a chord with Charlie. “Ohhh, right. Now I get it.” He pulled the magic icicle from his pocket. The young boy held the icicle high. “Return to us now.”
A tiny mass of spiraling snowflakes began to form above the crystal wand, which laid upon the ground where Flamario had turned the snow fairy to water. The spiraling mass grew larger and more pronounced. There was a burst of sparkling flakes, the snow cleared. Neve had returned with crystal wand in hand. “Thank you, Charlie,” she said to the young boy. Then she turned to Frank. “So good to see you again my old friend.”
Frank acknowledged the snow fairy’s words, then pointed behind her. “We have a few issues to take care of.”
Neve turned, overcome by what she saw. “Understood.”
Part of Raphael’s wooden soldiers were swarming Flamario and the silver fox, trying their best to overcome the giant fire breather and his sly friend. But the two shadow villains were too powerful.
Flamario turned many of the soldiers to ash with streams of fire, including those riding animals, every time he exhaled.
The sliver fox, mostly known for his mind and hypnotic stare, could be quite physical in such battles. His lame paw was really just a ploy, as he moved quite well, tearing away limbs with his powerful jaws, and sweeping out legs from beneath the wooden soldiers, and the animals they rode, using his large, fluffy tale.
The soldier’s weapons were rendered useless against their mighty foes. Every time a sword was drawn or a spear thrown, they were either disintegrated by the fire breather or snapped in half by the silver fox.
With the assistance of Midnight and Ben, the other half of the wooden army was having just as difficult a time battling Captain Fibs, his toady trolls, and a small army of island goons. And though they weren’t as powerful as the shadow villains, they were able to hold their own. Overcoming anything Midnight, Ben and the wooden soldiers could throw at them.
The ground beneath them began to shake and rumble as cracks shot out in every direction. Not far away, Charlie and Neve stood and watched, unsure what to do. Frank leaped off the boulder and quickly ran over to join them.
The ground swelled and crumbled. There was a giant explosion. Rock and dirt flew everywhere, creating a giant dust cloud. When the air cleared, a giant crater remained.
An enormous claw emerged from the crater. Then another, and another. Large horn-tipped wings arose from both sides of the gigantic hole. Then two pale blue dragon heads with black eyes. The heads simultaneously looked towards the sky, then at Charlie, Frank and Neve, while letting out horrible shrieking growls. “EEERAHHHH!”
“Charlie, go back and get Alexios and Featherwink,” Frank said.
The dragons climbed out of the crater, then exploded into the sky, letting out a multitude of shrieking growls.
Following the dragons with his eyes, the young boy replied to Frank, “I don’t understand?”
“Look around you my boy, we are loosing this battle. We need all the help we can get, or our cause will be lost forever.”
“Yes, that part I understand, but how do I go back and get Alexios and Featherwink?”
“The watch on your wrist, Charlie,” Frank answered back. “Use the Object of Magic to travel back and get them.”
“But…how exactly does that work?”
“You need to travel back in time, just before their end,” Neve kindly explained. “At that very moment, you can save them. Then, bring them back to the present time.”
“Now I get it,” the boy replied—excited by the idea.
“And make sure they both are touching you before telling the watch to bring you back,” Frank added.
“Got it.” Charlie activated the watch. “Take me back to Alexios and Featherwink’s end.” The hands spun round and round, as the face lit up in a colorful pattern. Mickey’s hands snapped to the backwards setting. There was a giant burst of light. The boy was gone.
Chapter Twenty
BOOM…BOOM! The giant dragons landed side by side, facing back to back. They surveyed the battles with their black, pearly eyes. Their large talons were dug well into the ground’s surface, as their thorn-tipped tails, at least thirty feet long, swayed from side to side along the ground. The dragon’s muscular, pail blue physiques were quite intimidating, even by the standards of Flamario and the fox. As they exhaled, small blue flames crept out of their fiercely-toothed mouthes.
“The one on the right bears what we need,” Frank quietly said to Neve.
“I see it,” the snow fairy replied—spotting the the Kingdom Crystal necklace around the dragon’s long neck.
“Where is the boy?” the dragon wearing the necklace asked in a thunderous tone.
“Boy? What boy?” Frank said. Playing stupid to buy time.
“RAAARRRRRR!” the dragon responded in anger. She shot a stream of blue flames directly towards Frank and Neve.
The snow fairy flicked her wand—instantly freezing the blue flames before they struck them.
The male dragon responded with another fire stream.
Frank swirled his open hands around, then thrust them towards the approaching stream of fire. The charm around his neck released a magical burst of light, which traveled through his arms, then out through his hands, striking the oncoming flames dead center—pushing them all the way back towards the dragon until they had been extinguished.
“ROOOAAAAAAR! You’ll pay for that,” the male dragon proclaimed.
“I think not,” Frank replied, sensing Charlie would return soon.
“Bring us the boy now, or I will end you,” Elontra demanded from Frank, snapping her enormous dragon jaws.
SHOOOP!
Charlie had returned. With him were Alexios and Featherwink—alive and ready for battle.
“I hear you’re looking for me?” the chosen outsider said in a confident tone.
The dragons quickly turned their attention towards the boy, as the owl and the giant, winged frog took to the air, traveling in opposite directions.
“Give us the watch, boy,” Senkrad said in his deep dragon voice.
“Charlie, I brought you a gift from the watchmaker,” Frank shouted from across the way—distracting the dragons.
“Gift? What gift?” Elontra growled with curios concern.
Frank smacked his hands together, magic sparks flew outward in every direction. He pulled his hands apart, a glittering trail followed each one, then dissipated, exposing a familiar walking stick in the wise Parton’s hands.
“Oteza!” Charlie shouted. “You…you’re alive? But how?”
“Magic. Purely magic,” Frank replied. He reached back with the magic walking stick in his throwing hand, then launched her just out of reach of the dragons, towards Charlie.
Senkrad tried to reach out and snap the stick in half with his mighty jaws, but was too slow to react.
Charlie reached up and received Oteza perfectly in his left hand. He pulled the stick down to gaze upon her with teary eyes of happiness.
“I know you missed me, but now is not the time to get all emotional,” Oteza said.
“Right,” the boy said. He smiled and wiped the tears from his face.
“Oh, how sweet,” Elontra growled with a sarcastic undertone, rolling her large dragon eyes.
“Charlie, you know what to do,” Frank hollered.
“Just like old times, eh Charlie?” Oteza added. “Just tap me twice on the ground—that should do it.”
“Do what?” The boy asked.
“JUST DO IT,” Oteza demanded.
“Charlie took the magic ostrich stick in his right hand and tapped it two quick times on the ground. Instantly, he felt an invisible charge travel through his entire body and into the stick, which began to spark and hum. His body was magically shielded with carved, wooden armor that matched the engravings on the walking stic
k.
“It’s time to go to work, my friend. Attack!” Oteza shouted.
“There’s so much going on I…I don’t know where to start,” the boy replied, as he frantically looked around. “And where is Michael? I don’t see him.”
“Go to Frank, he should know,” Oteza replied.
Charlie bolted towards his friend. The boy had forgotten what it was like to move with such power and energy—like the year before when they battled the Yeti. Once again, he was a warrior with mad skills and the ability to maneuver well beyond those of any normal human being. But this time was even more incredible than before, being they were in Deep WONDER.
“Stop that boy!” Elontra commanded. She and Senkrad took off into the air—trying to surround the chosen outsider and his magic stick with walls of fire.
But Charlie was too agile, too quick and had no fear or doubt in his abilities. Confidently, he maneuvered through and around all deadly obstacles the dragons could throw at him—reaching Frank and Neve without fatigue.
“So where is Michael?” Charlie asked.
“Watch out!” Frank shouted, as a stream of fire rained down from Senkrad in the sky above.
“Allow me,” Neve replied. The snow fairy spun her crystal wand, creating and impenetrable dome, which easily deflected Senkrad’s flames and all other fiery attempts the dragons sent towards her and her friends.
“My brother?” Charlie asked again.
“The coachman took him into his mountain,” Frank replied.
“What is he going to do with Michael inside the mountain?”
Frank sighed. “More than likely, he will try to turn your brother into a worker mule that can be sold or used to mine his gold.”
Charlie’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “You mean like the ones that were pulling the coachman’s coach?”
“Precisely.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“And worse yet, he may turn him to gold.”
“What?” Like a statue?”
“Unfortunately, yes. The Patron council believes that Mr. Jollysnaps has a collection of golden statues hidden deep within the mines of the mountain.”
The dragons swooped in for another attack, dousing the snow fairy’s ice dome with even more fire.
The dome began to wear thin—hairline cracks started to form and grow all around its structure.
“We must hurry, the dome will not hold much longer,” Neve said, as she surveyed the damage.
“Right,” Frank replied. “Charlie, the sooner you find your brother, the better.”
“Got it.”
“And Charlie…be prepared for anything. Shadow villains are extremely powerful.”
Charlie looked at his good friend and nodded.
“And watch out for those dragons!” Neve shouted, as the boy burst through the protective dome—rushing towards the mountain to save his brother.
“We’ll take care of the dragons,” Frank said to Neve, as he turned to face the flying fire breathers—ready for battle.
Inside the mountain, just beyond the entryway, was a long tunnel, lined with bright, lit arrows pointing towards a large, Illuminated sign at the end.
Charlie cautiously proceeded down the tunnel to take a closer look.
The sign read: THE JOLLY BIG ARCADE, COME IN AND HAVE A BALL!
The boy stepped into the arcade. It was massive—filled with colorful arcade machines and hundreds of lively gamers. The isles seemed endless, lined end to end with at least twenty of every arcade game one could imagine. At the center of the ginormous room was an expansive, rectangular soda bar, where gamers could enjoy a wide variety of bubbly, caffeinated sodas to keep their energy levels up. And if gamers didn’t want to visit the soda bar, there were plenty of soda machines and candy-filled vending machines scattered throughout the arcade.
The chosen outsider made his way around the arcade, observing hundreds of children, all fixated on games they were playing, and all hopped up on candy and soda.
“Something’s not right here,” Oteza said to Charlie. “And where did these children get the money they’re pumping into those arcade machines?”
The ostrich stick’s words sparked a thought in Charlie’s mind. “The woods,” he said out loud.
“What? The woods?”
“Yes, the woods between here and the lake were made of candy, and then money.”
“Are you thinking the coachman supplied candy and money to all the village kids visiting Mischief Island, so inevitably, they end up here, playing arcade games for hours on end?”
“Uh…Yeah…yes, that’s exactly what I’m thinking,” the boy replied.
“But why would the coachman do such a thing?”
“I say we go ask him ourselves,” Charlie said.
“Good idea, but do you notice something strange about this room?”
The boy looked around. “No, not really.”
“If we’re going to go find Mr. Jollysnaps, wouldn’t it be best if we could find a door to get out of here, first?”
Charlie carefully looked around again. “Hey, I don’t see any exits.”
“And the doorway we came in has vanished as well.”
The boy snapped his head around, shocked by what he saw. “Wh…where did the entryway go?”
“Obviously we’re supposed to stay here.”
“Yeah, but for how long?”
HEEE-HAW! SHOOP!, HEEE-HAW! SHOOP!, HEEE-HAW! SHOOP! SHOOP! SHOOP!
One by one, the children in the arcade started changing into mules, and suddenly dropping through small trap doors in the floor beneath them.
“What’s going on here?” Charlie said in a panic.
“The trap doors in front of the machines.”
“I see them. What about ‘em?”
“Don’t you see, Charlie? That’s our way out.”
“Right, let’s go.”
“Behind you, Charlie. A girl just turned into a mule. The trap door beneath her should open any second now.”
The trap door dropped down. Charlie leaped towards the opening—timing it perfectly. The boy and his handy stick screamed and hollered, as they slid down a shoot in total darkness—closely following the neighing mule ahead of them.
Flamario, the fox, Bella Bark, Captain Fibs and his two toady trolls stood triumphantly amongst the smokey air. Scattered around them, only ash, splintered wood and a few burning embers remained from Raphael’s wooden army.
Broken down, ash covered, and defeated, Midnight and Ben stood quietly. They had fought bravely alongside the wooden army, but it had not been enough.
“I say, little red headed fellow. Why don’t you bring your kitty friend over here,” the silver fox said.
Ben kept his head down, refusing to acknowledge the shadow villain’s request.
“Hey, little man. Did you hear what my friend asked of you?” Flamario spat out.
Both Ben and the black jaguar continued to ignore the shadow villain’s words.
“Duke, Grim, go grab those two will ya,” Fibs commanded.
The toady trolls marched over to fetch the Patrons.
Half way there, a giant white tiger with crystal blue eyes leaped out of the shrubs, cutting off the trolls. The tiger roared, suggesting the trolls should turn back.
Bella Bark reached back, then tossed a lightning bolt towards the tiger.
The bolt was deflected by a green counter bolt from the sky. Featherwink, the magic frog was helping Frank, Neve and Alexios battle the Dark Thorn dragons, and happened to fly by at just the perfect time.
The white tiger turned to the frog and thanked him, as Ticky, the large snow leopard, came to her side. The tiger and leopard’s eyes were identical in every way. “Nice to see you brother,” the tiger said quietly.
“Likewise,” the snow leopard replied.
“Tocky, is that you?” Midnight asked. His curiosity peeked.
Ticky and Tocky both turned their attention towards the jaguar. “Well of course it is, si
lly.”
“I did not realize you could talk,” Midnight replied.
“You never asked,” the tiger answered back.
“Behind you!” Ben shouted, pointing towards the shadow villains.
Flamario made the ground shake, as he charged towards Ticky and Tocky. And right behind him, was a small group of the coachman’s goons, all bearing weapons.
Meanwhile, the fox had circled around and was mounting a charge towards Midnight and Ben from the opposite direction.
Elontra and Senkrad soared high into the sky, looped around each other, then dove aggressively towards Frank and the snow fairy, attempting to catch the Patrons in a crossfire of flames. They swept in low, one from each side, unleashing long streams of fire that left nothing behind but scorched trails.
Frank ran, then leaped upwards, changing into a giant hawk, as Neve took off into the sky, trailed by flakes of sparkling snow.
Elontra and Senkrad’s flames collided, letting out a thunderous BOOM, as the low flying dragons crossed paths, heading in opposite directions.
As Senkrad circled back around, he was unexpectedly confronted by the snow fairy, who cast her wand in mid flight, sending a flurry of ice, which coated the dragon’s wings and sent the giant beast spiraling towards the mountain.
KAPOW!
The giant creature crashed into the mountainside and tumbled downward. An avalanche of giant rocks followed—burying the unconscious dragon.
The snow fairy flew down and quickly concealed the pile of boulders in a giant glacier. “There, that should hold you for a while,” Neve said.
On the opposite side of the mountain, high up in the sky, Frank attempted a surprise attack from the dragon’s underside. The clever hawk rose up, eyeing the brilliant green Kingdom Crystal dangling from Elontra’s neck.
Just as Frank was about to grab the crystal with his beak, she spotted the hawk and changed her course abruptly—swatting Frank away like a pesky fly, sending him into a tailspin, plummeting towards the ground.
Suddenly, Frank felt something grab hold of the light charm around his neck, pulling him out of his tailspin.
“Hello old friend. Looks like you could use some help.”
Frank looked to his right as he regained control. “Alexios. So good to see you friend. And yes, I sure could use your help.”
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